1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique for appropriately configuring a circuit substrate that is used to control a print head.
2. Related Art
Hitherto, image recording devices such as ink jet printers that perform image recording by ejecting a liquid from a print head onto a recording medium are provided with an electric circuit that is used to control the print head. In particular, in JP-A-2009-285840, a circuit substrate, on which a drive circuit serving as the above electric circuit is mounted, and a print head are integrally formed and fixed on a common support member.
As described above, when the substrate, which is needed to control the print head, and the print head are fixed on a common support member, the substrate and the print head can be arranged relatively close to each other. Accordingly, a signal path from the substrate to the print head becomes shorter and an advantage is obtained in that degradation of electric signals transmitted through the signal path can be suppressed. However, even though the above advantage is obtained, the print head disadvantageously lacks ease of maintenance. In other words, because the substrate and the print head are fixed on a common support member, when replacing the print head due to its product life or the like, there are cases in which the substrate that is fixed to the support member together with the print head is disadvantageously replaced as well. However, the print head and the substrate do not necessarily have to be replaced at the same time; accordingly, the configuration described above in which the print head and the substrate are replaced together is uneconomical.
In order to deal with the above disadvantage, at least a portion of the circuit that controls the print head can be devised to be mounted on a substrate that is separate to the print head. This will allow the print head to be replaced at a timing suitable for the print head independently from the substrate that has been separated from the print head. However, when the substrate is provided separate to the print head, the signal path from the substrate to the print head becomes long and the electric signal is disadvantageously degraded.
As described above, when the substrate is supported together with the print head by a common support member, a decrease in the ease of maintenance disadvantageously occurs, and, on the other hand, when the substrate is provided separate to the print head, degradation of the electric signal occurs. Therefore, a substrate configuration that overcomes these problems is required.